Disclaimer: One Piece belongs to Oda. If it belonged to me, this fanfiction wouldn't be necessary.

Take My Hand

Chapter 2

In the middle of the night a woman screamed through her gritted teeth as the midwife urged her to push, and another one held her hand while asking her to hold on, that it would be over soon. She clutched the other's hand even tighter while another wave of pain washed over her. Sweat dripped down her temples and her gown was drenched by it. She had been left alone, her husband had died right after she had found out that she was with child and the doctor had said that it would be a complicated birth since her health wasn't the best. She could die, but she wouldn't before that unborn could be delivered safely into the world because she knew… somehow, she knew that this one was important, that someone was waiting for him.

"Just a little more! I can see the head… Another push, that's all is needed!" the midwife said as she grabbed a blanket, ready to get the child into its safety.

She groaned as another wave came and lifting from the mattress, pushed with all her might while the nurse that kept holding her hand wiped the sweat off her forehead, encouraging her. And when she thought that she wouldn't be able to keep going, the wailing of a baby echoed off the wooden walls of the small cabin they were tugged into as a sigh of relief left her mouth as she let herself fall down on the bed again, exhausted and so very weak… "My baby…" she breathed. "H-how's my baby?" she asked.

"He's fine," the midwife informed her while cutting the umbilical cord and wrapping him up in a warm blanket.

"It's a boy…" the woman sighed, laughing slightly. "A boy…" the nurse passed the child to her and as she saw him, she smiled at the little bundle. "Ace… That's… Portgas D. Ace… Just like the shaman told me… It happened… I- I brought him back…" She muttered to herself. "His name's Ace. Please… I don't have much time left. Take good care of him." She said when feeling that her life was slipping away from her. Her consciousness fading. "You'll meet with your brother again… I can't be there with you. I'm sorry. Sorry for leaving you alone so early, just like your previous mother did. But know this, you are loved, many people love you and care about you. Goodbye, my baby…" That way, she left. The midwife tried her hardest to save her life, but it was all in vain, her bleeding wouldn't stop and once she managed to, the woman was gone.

The two women looked at each other. They knew that neither of them could take care of the child and left him in a small town with a family that would probably be able to give him a home to belong to.

He was always there. His eyes glued to the horizon, seeing the waves break onto the rocks. As the breeze brought one strand of hair to his eyes, he brushed it back as if annoyed by it. He didn't know why but he yearned for the open sea. His subconscious telling him that his true family was out there and not here, on this island. He only remembered some names: Marco, Luffy, Whitebeard, Thatch, Izou, Jozu… But there was two more names he did remember, both bringing a feeling of pure hatred every time they came to his mind: Marshall D. Teach and Akainu.

Ace frowned as he heard his teeth crack due to the pressure. He didn't know why, but he knew that he had to hate those two people. Of course he was aware of the news circulating around the Grand Line. He had read the old and new newspapers. Seven years had passed since the War of the Best. He didn't know the reason but he "loved" Monkey D. Luffy. Did he know him? Had they met before? He couldn't remember, but he felt as if they had been brothers, which was ridiculous since they didn't share the same surname. He was Portgas D. Ace, while the other was the son of the Revolutionary leader Monkey D. Dragon.

As for his own parents? He didn't know. He was told that her mother had died when giving birth to him. No one knew about his father, though. Not like he cared. For some reason they had decided to change his surname to Silvers Ace. It was, somewhat, saver. That, of course, according to the ones that had brought him up.

He knew that he was too young to set sail, but he couldn't wait any longer. Soon he was going to become eight years old and although he should wait until his sixteenth birthday as he had "promised", he had had enough.

Ace looked up, at the setting sun. He needed to leave, he yearned to meet his true family once more. And, most of all, he wanted to see Luffy.

The anniversary of his brother was approaching and anyone on the Thousand Sunny knew, by now, what did it mean. The Straw Hat Captain always ended up all wasted on deck, a bunch of bottles of sake surrounding him. Every pirate or Marine knew better than to approach the crew in these days.

It wasn't like Luffy went to pay his respects on the island where his brother rested underground. Even if the Den-Den Mushi rang, no one dared to pick it up. The captain knew that it was Marco asking him if he was finally going to show up in the Whitebeard resting place and so he forbade anyone to grab a hold of the damn snail.

Despite the fact that today was the eighth year of his sworn brother's death, Luffy felt as if it had been yesterday instead. Damn, he could still see clearly how the lava-infused hand of Akainu went through his brother's chest as Ace protected him from the blow that would've meant his own death. After all the lectures he had given him for going to safe him, he went and died in his place when he had all the damn intentions on leaving the Headquarters alive with him.

"Stupid," he spat as he uncorked another bottle and drank from it.

Yes, his brother had been stupid, but more stupid had been himself for letting his strength go so easily while the fight hadn't ended yet. If he hadn't fallen on the floor and stood there like a goddamn idiot, then Ace wouldn't felt the need to step in between him and Akainu. He would've dodged the attack and they could've run towards Trafalgar's submarine. Both him and his brother.

Even though everyone he knew had told him that it wasn't his fault, he knew better. If he had acted more maturely, if only he had been stronger, if only he had taken the advice Bon Clay had given him and avoided his confrontation with Magellan… Many things could've gone in another way had he done things differently.

But, what was the point in sitting there alone, pondering the "what ifs"? He couldn't change the past.

Luffy looked up, towards the setting sun in the horizon. They were going to dock in an island tomorrow to restock. Not like he wanted to. He was far more comfortable in the open sea in the day of his brother's death but they were really low in food and medicines, so they had no other option.

As Ace woke up the next morning, he opened the window of his room and breathed in the morning breeze. When he opened his eyes, he blinked once, twice… He covered his mouth to muffle a screech as he saw a pirate ship docked at the port. His eyes flew to the Jolly Roger and his eyes went wide.

"No way…" He checked it again. A skull wearing a straw hat. "The Straw Hat crew!"

Without even thinking it twice, he put on the first clothes he encountered and rushed down the stairs and out of the house, running with all his might to the port.

As he arrived, he saw as some of the crewmembers came down the ship. A woman with long, orange hair was giving instructions as the others nodded or answered. Ace sneaked in between the people to get to the front and as he did so, the one person he had wanted to meet the most jumped off the ship. The kid stepped forward unconsciously and when the Straw Hat Captain's eyes met him, the man seemed to freeze on his tracks as he was about to step forward.

Something clicked in Ace's mind and a painful thought crossed his mind. He was way older, wearing a pair of black cargo pants, no shirt… He was hunched over onto someone… no, not just "someone", but Luffy and the words that came out of his mouth were filled with love and regret: "Thank you for loving me."

Suddenly, everything went black and before he could even pass out, he heard someone scream, "Ace!"

Sorry about the delay. I didn't know how the heck I could continue this. Hope every one of you can forgive me and I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!

See you!